Ginseng--What does it really do? To find
this answer to this question, I took a detailed look at not only the claims
made by the producers of this plant, as listed on the internet, but also
the research done by scientists. Although it has a wide variety of claims,
it does not necessarily fulfill all of its promises.

What is ginseng?

What is ginseng made of?

What is it promised to do?

A closer look at specific effects:

Ginseng and Aging

Effects on stress

Quality of Life/Physical Stamina

Should I take Ginseng?

What is ginseng?

Ginseng is listed as an adaptogen. Hans Selye,
a listed expert on stress, defines an adaptogen as a "non-toxic substance
which reinforces the bodys ability to react to stress" (http:/www.sunwellness.com/ginseng.html).
It is offered in a variety of species each yielding a different response.

What is ginseng made of?

Ginseng is a plant with many different components.
It is used in its entirety in the preparation of teas, powders, and capsules.
It contains saponins, or soaplike materials, that have been named with
various numbers and letters, such as Rg1. Its root is said to have a composition
similar to that of a steroid (http://www.mkservices.com/ginseng/
more.html) ) It contains compounds containing hydrogen, carbon, and
oxygen in the proportion C42 H72O14, (Liu et al., 1995).

What is it promised to do?

Ginseng is said to have many effects on the human
body. The cooling effects or relaxing effects are felt from the "Yin"
ginsengs such as the American or Siberian species. The warming or stimulating
effects are seen from the "Yang" ginsengs which include the species
of Korean and Chinese ginsengs (http://www.tenzing.com/g.html).

Ginseng has been studied in its relationship to
the process of aging among humans. It is stated that aging is a declining
process associated with dysfunction of neuro-endocrino-immuno-system network.
The atrophy of the thymus places a role in decreased lymphocyte function
(Liu J., Wang. Liu H., Yang, Nan, 1995).

Scientists at the Beijing Institute of Geriatrics
conducted a study on the direct effects of Rg1, extracted from Panax ginseng,
on lymphocytes of aged people. The study concluded that the Rg1 saponin
used could stimulate and enhance the function of lymphocytes, restoring
it to normal (Liu J. et al., 1995).

Furthermore, this study provided insight on the
immunostimulatory mechanisms of saponin and other herbs. Ginseng contains
ten saponins, or polysaccharides with specific characteristics, including
Rc, Rc2, Rd, and Rg1. Some of the researchers found that ginseng can promote
synthesis of protein, RNA, and DNA in tissues and organs such as the kidney,
liver, bone marrow , and plasma of rats.

In 1994, a group of scientists conducted a study
on the life span, motor activity and antibody production in senescence
accelerated mice (SAM). A ginseng containing compound, DX-9386 (ginseng,
acorus, polygala, and hoelen) was given to SAM for 13 consecutive months
starting from two months of age. The results concluded that DX-9386 significantly
prolonged the life span of SAM, prevented body weight decrease with aging,
and tended to improve the senile syndrome. Antibody production was however
markedly decreased and DX-9386 showed no effect of raising that (Zhang,
Takashina, Saito, Nishiyama, 1994).

Effects on Stress

Electric shock and other physical stress manipulations
are known to cause antinociception, or an increase in the threshold of
pain, in experimental animals. The mechanisms of stress-induced antinociception
are controlled by emotional factors such as anxiety and fear. Panax ginseng
has been demonstrated to suppress the development of adaptation to psychological
stress in mice (Nguygen et al., 1995).

Other scientists studied the effects Vietnamese
ginseng saponins, especially R2, had on psychological stress and foot shock
stress-induced antinociception in mice. It was found that acute administration
of VG crude saponin significantly suppressed the antinociceptive response
caused by the psychological stress. Repeated administration of the saponin
had no effect on the development of adaptation to either psychological
or foot-shock stress exposure (Nguygen TT. et al., 1995).

Quality of Life/ Physical Stamina

Among the varied promises of Ginseng are those
of an increased physical stamina and a higher quality of life. Many advertisers
promise a feeling of an increased overall well being. They offer testimonies
of people who claim that after taking the extract they "feel better."

Scientists in Sweden conducted a double-blind,
randomized study with a 12 week duration to determine the effect of ginseng
extract G115 on the quality of life. Healthy, employed volunteers, 25 years
old or older were included in the study measuring two standards. Self-administered
questionnaires were given concerning the Psychological General Well-Being
Index and the Sleep Dysfunction scale. 185 subjects taking a placebo and
205 subjects taking the active substances completed the study (Wiklund,
Karlberg, Lund, 1994).

The results of the study showed an improvement
in the quality of life of both groups, showing an improved alertness, relaxation,
appetite, as well as an improved overall score, although a more pronounced
improvement was seen in those taking the extract. It was concluded that
treatment with the combination of active substances had significant advantages
over placebo therapy.

One experiment was cited by Betty Kamen, Ph.D.,
whose qualifications as an expert include her experiences as a nutritionist,
author, lecturer, and radio-TV host. This study involved sailors on a two-month
voyage. Twenty-nine of the men were given Siberian ginseng extract, while
another group received a placebo. Kamen records the results showing a greater
increase in the mental and physical capacity to do work among the men with
the ginseng treatment (http:www.sunwellness.com/ginseng2.html).

The effects of ginseng G115 on physical stamina
was studied by Van Schepdael of Medicine du Sport in 1993. A group of 43
triatheletes of good standing, aged 24-36, was studied during the sport
season using cross-over design for two consecutive periods of ten weeks.
No significant conclusions were made after the first period. However, the
second period of ten weeks showed a prevention by the drug in the loss
of physical performance characteristic of end of the season tiredness.
The experimenter concluded that G115 could be a non-doping "adaptagen"
(Van Schepdael, 1993).

Memory

Ginseng was studied to determine its effects on
learning and memory performance in the step-down and lever-press tests
in normal mice. The prescription of S-113m (Panax ginseng and Schisandra
chinensis) had no effect on memory registration, consolidation and retrieval
processes or on motor activity (Nishiyama, Wang, Satio, 1995).

Should I take ginseng?

Is ginseng a "cure-all?" A study shows
that ginseng has no effect on memory registration as claimed by many manufacturers
of the product. Saponins contained in ginseng do seem to have a prohibiting
effect in the aging process and a positive effect toward anti-stress. Both
the quality of life and physical stamina studies fail to exhibit overwhelming
data that ginseng greatly improves either of these aspects of life. They
do however, open the doors for future studies. There seems to be little
harm in taking ginseng because none of the studies included an adverse
reaction to the plant. A word of caution must be introduced. Many of these
studies were done on rodents. Although they may have positive effects on
these creatures, that does not mean that they will also have the same effect
on humans. Maybe then, we should place a little more weight on those studies
done using humans as subjects such as the quality of life experiments.
In these studies, little was shown to illustrate that ginseng was extremely
effective. In conclusion, ginseng is only overwhelmingly effective in certain
circumstances and the "wonder drug" marketing techniques must
be taken with a grain of salt.

Wiklund I., Karlberg J., Lund B. (1994). A double-blind
comparison of the effect on quality of life of a combination of vital substances
including standardized ginseng G115 and placebo. Current Therapeutic Research,
55(1) 32-42.